Jane Austen

I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle.

For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors and laugh at them in our turn?

Single women have a dreadful propensity for being poor. Which is one very strong argument in favor of matrimony.

To set up as a standard of public morality a notion which can neither be defined nor conceived is to open the door to every kind of tyranny.

Well, I actually wrote her a letter a couple of days ago congratulating her. The tone I tried to convey in the letter is, look, you are a part of a great American historical process.

What people don't understand about Sarah Palin is that she is a rancher's wife. From Alberta down to Texas I've known women like that: good common sense, bright and vilified by city people.